In the last 10 to 15 years a large and growing number of flavored coffee and coffee products have come to the market, as a response to consumers' preferences for easy to prepare fresh brewed specialty coffee and coffee beverages.
Current and previous manufacturing and packaging technology have created a one step flavoring method and flavorings to accommodate it, along with vacuum or nitrogen flushing, non-air permeable packaging containers, in order to minimize manufacturing time and cost while maximizing distribution efficiencies and shelf-life. These solutions, although adequate to produce less then optimum quality flavored coffee products, still have three major disadvantages:
1. Rapid loss of flavor strength and aroma, requiting expensive, non-biodegradable packaging containers, sealed under vacuum or nitrogen flushed to achieve long shelf-life, i.e. 6-12 months.
2. Development of staleness and loss of body, upon opening the packaging container and exposing the whole bean or ground coffee to ambient air.
3. Development of rancidity, due to oxidative degradation of the flavor and other aromatic flavor and coffee compounds, resulting in objectionable off-flavor and aroma after more than 48-72 hours of exposure to ambient air in an open container at the place of use.
It is the object of the present invention to provide flavored coffee and coffee products of very high quality, which retain full flavor, aroma and body characteristics for up to six months, without the use of expensive, non-biodegradable packaging materials and without the use of elaborate vacuum or nitrogen flush packaging and sealing.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a simple three stage flavoring process, where the last stage actually takes place in the packaging container itself, upon closing or sealing, in order to develop full flavor, aroma and body for the coffee or coffee product filled into said container.
It is yet another object of the present invention to use the air in the packaging container--either the amount left after sealing or what flows through it at a controlled rate, determined by the packaging material itself as well as the container's proximity to other items--to develop the full flavor and aroma of the coffee and coffee products.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to use biodegradable, or environmentally benign packaging materials when feasible, such as wax or biopolymer coated paper bags and pouches, polyethylene or other food grade polymer coated paper bags and pouches, which also allow for controlled air flow through the container, due to their air porosity and permeability.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to use flavorings which not only withstand the oxidizing and dilution effects of air in the packaging container, but actually utilize this air, to develop the full flavor and aroma of the coffee and coffee products.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to utilize the filterless, direct extraction method of "French press" type coffee brewers, to prepare the highest quality coffee and coffee beverages for immediate consumption.
Finally, it is yet another object of the present invention to combine said flavor-aged ground coffee product with a coffee whitener, cappuccino, mocha, or other flavored dairy or non-dairy base dry powder mixture in the packaging container, in order to develop a smooth flavor combination and to make possible the preparation of a complete, fresh brewed coffee beverage in one step, using a French press type coffee brewing unit.